Bird Revered By The Pharaohs Stages A Comeback
The Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita), one of the world’s most threatened birds, is staging a spectacular comeback
in its Moroccan heartlands, thanks to an on-going emergency conservation programme launched by the RSPB, on behalf of
BirdLife International, supporting the Moroccan Water and Forests’ Souss-Massa National Park. [1,2]
Formerly, the Northern Bald Ibis, a distant relative of storks and herons, was widespread across northern Africa, the
Middle East and even the Alps, but now is classified as Critically Endangered. [3] Along with the closely-related sacred
ibis, the bird was known to the Egyptian pharaohs and even had its own hieroglyphic symbol. However, by 1997 the bird’s
population has fallen to less than 50 pairs and was largely confined to the Souss-Massa National Park, near Agadir. The
long-term population decline has been driven by human persecution, especially hunting, and habitat loss. Pesticide
poisoning and human disturbance have also contributed to the decline.
Thanks to the conservation programme, the bird’s population has increased by almost 60 per cent to 85 pairs this year
that between them reared 100 flying young. The bird’s population has risen by 15 pairs since 2002. Conservation measures
including the employment of local staff as wardens to protect against disturbance and the construction of drinking
points to provide clean water close to the breeding cliffs.
The birds breeding at the Souss-Massa National Park are the only wild ones in the world, apart from a remnant, and
genetically-distinct population of three pairs recently rediscovered in Syria, which this year raised seven young.
Conservation biologist and ibis enthusiast Chris Bowden of the RSPB, BirdLife International’s UK partner, is convinced
that without the emergency programme the bird might have been consigned to history and hieroglyphics. He said: “The
ibises spend much of the year living and feeding close by local people. The wardening and awareness-raising work is
vitally-important; in Syria it is clear that the involvement of local Bedouin has already reduced hunting pressure.
Although the full reasons for the decline of the charismatic bird are not fully known, we are confident that we have
found the key to its survival in Morocco.
“So far attempts to re-introduce the Northern Bald Ibis into the wild have been fruitless. With more ibises alive in
captivity that in the wild a breakthrough in reintroduction techniques coupled with successful conservation measures at
key sites could see this charismatic bird restored to parts of its former range. Co-ordinating work on a release
programme while ensuring that the wild population remains viable, give this species a far more encouraging future than
seemed possible five years ago.”